December 2010 Readers' Rides

Instant Gratification
For many, ending up with a sweet customized Camaro is a long process. We buy a ride and then, over the course of time, make it into a representation of our vision. But San Francisco resident Jarrod Jacobs had a different idea. He contacted Louder Than Life Motorsports in Yorba Linda, California, and had them pick up his 2010 Chevy Camaro SS/RS right from the dealership and perform a host of upgrades. LTLM started by bolting on an ATI ProCharger P1SC that pumps out a healthy 7 pounds of boost. They also added some Pedders Xa coilovers and LSR Performance three-way adjustable sway bars. In addition, they added a Seibon Carbon ST style trunk, RK Sport ram-air hood, and painted everything to match. As Jarrod explained, "I flew from San Francisco down to LA to pick up the car, since the dealerships around here are greedy. Friday night there was a meet of about 12 other Camaro owners for dinner, and Saturday was a dyno day where my Camaro put down 491 hp and 439 lb-ft of torque. On Sunday, driving back up from Los Angeles, I stopped by Bakersfield, California, for another Camaro meet and finished the drive that night. It's my daily driver except when I go to work in my Saturn. The cabin feels like a cockpit, and when I push down on the loud pedal, I feel like I'm sitting in a fighter jet. My wife loves the car because of all the stares and jaws on the floor when we roll up. My favorite cruise spots include Skyline Ridge and Pacific Coastal Highway, which we hit at least twice a week." Future plans include some track days at Infineon Raceway and Thunder Hill and more mods like JBA long tubes and some aftermarket rollers.

2/7

Camaros for life
Back in 2004, Keith McConnell was graduating college and decided, along with his wife, that a present was in order. What he found was bone-stock SS with 40,000 miles on the clock. Since then Keith has been fixing up the Camaro and racking up even more miles-over 90,000 more at this point. Keith told us, "This is the fourth Camaro I've owned, the others were an '86, a '91 Z28, and even a '69. My wife has also owned several Camaros including a '92 RS, a '94, and currently an '01 convertible." Keith has upgraded the F-body's handling with BMR suspension parts and Tokico shocks. The brakes were also tweaked with Power Slot rotors and Hawk ceramic pads while C6 Motorsport wheels punch up the looks.

4/7

Z Rush
When Alfred Yee bought his new '97 Z28 new off the dealer's lot he didn't realize just how much fun he was about to have. Being a new car, there were some challenges, namely upping the LT1's power while staying on the good side of the smog police. A worked-over 52mm throttle body and some free-flowing exhaust helped in the horsepower department and kept the ride legal. Luckily, the government still doesn't care what's done in terms of handling performance, so Strano springs, Koni SA shocks, and a stiffer front sway bar were added along with Hotchkis subframe connectors and host of BMR suspension widgets. To knock down rotating mass, Alfred added an LS1 aluminum driveshaft and a trans cooler helps chill the power steering fluid. He also did a low-buck, high-gain brake upgrade by adding some C5 Vette binders. Exterior mods include an SLP Ultra Z hood and an SS rear spoiler. All this performance goodness is put to use, since Alfred is a member of the Delta Region of the SCCA and can be found flogging his sweet fourth-gen on a monthly basis. Future plans call for some Fikse FM5 rollers wrapped in Nitto NT05 rubber.

5/7

Livin' The Dream
There's an old saying that there's only three types of people: those who have owned a Camaro, those who currently own a Camaro, and those who want a Camaro. As the proud owner of a '68 RS, Daniel Campbell of Athens, Alabama, falls solidly into the middle category. According to Daniel, his '68 isn't an original SS, but it did come from the factory with the RS trim package. Since it was rolling with an SS hood when Daniel purchased it, he decided to roll with it and give it the full SS treatment. Powering the '68 is a 350 small-block that puts out 365 hp and 400 pounds of twist. Originally the Camaro was equipped with a four-speed, but sadly, someone along the line replaced it with a TH350 automatic. Out back there's a GM 12-bolt with an Eaton posi and 3.73 gears. As Daniel told us, "The car is an original out of California. I bought it in San Diego in 1998 while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. I've slowly been restoring as money allows and I just finished paint a couple months ago. It is an original A/C car although that is long gone and the hot summer days in Alabama are making me scream for a Vintage Air setup!"

6/7

We're sure that frosty air would also be welcomed by his wife and three kids, who enjoy piling into the Camaro for cruises and local car shows. Future plans also call for ditching the auto and dropping in a Tremec TKO-600, but for now, he's just happy to be driving his dream car.

I love the '80s
One thing about our magazine readers-many of them love their third-gens. One of these is William Lucas who has been working away on his '82 Z28. Painted in Stealth Gray Metallic paint, the Camaro runs a '70s vintage 350 small-block with a Weiand Air Strike intake, a Holley Street Avenger carb, and a lumpy Summit bumpstick. Backing up the V-8 is a TH350 with a shift kit Alto Red Eagle clutches. It makes for a fun ride that hasn't sent William to the poor house, and isn't that what it's all about?